Original Word: צִנָּה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: tsinnah
Pronunciation: tsin-naw'
Phonetic Spelling: (tsin-naw')
KJV: buckler, cold, hook, shield, target
Word Origin: [feminine of H6791 (צֵּן - thorns)]

1. a hook (as pointed)
2. also a (large) shield (as if guarding by prickliness)
3. also cold (as piercing)

buckler, cold, hook, shield, target

Feminine of tsen; a hook (as pointed); also a (large) shield (as if guarding by prickliness); also cold (as piercing) -- buckler, cold, hook, shield, target.

see HEBREW tsen

I. [צִנָּה] noun feminine apparently hook, or barb (of fishing-spear ?); — plural צִנּוֺת Amos 4:2( "" סִירוֺת דּוּגָה).

II. [צִנָּה] noun feminine coolness; — construct צִנַּתשֶֿׁלֶג Proverbs 25:13 coolness of snow (צינת רוח צפון Ecclus 43:20).

III. צנן (√ of following; Thes (so Di^Lex) compare Arabic preserve,keep, Ethiopic protect, but dubious).

III. צִנָּה noun feminine large shield (covering whole body); — absolute ׳צ 1 Samuel 17:7 +; plural צִנּוֺת2Chronicles 11:12; — shield, larger than מָגֵן 1 Kings 10:16 (twice in verse) (compare 1 Kings 10:17) = 2Chronicles 9:15 (twice in verse); נשֵֹׁא (הַ)צִנָּה 1 Samuel 17:7,41 (׳הַצּ ׳הָאִישׁ נ), 2 Chron 14:7, ׳נשְֹׁאֵי צ 1 Chronicles 12:25 (van d. H. v.1 Chronicles 12:24); עִרְכוּ מָגֵן וְצִנָּה Jeremiah 46:3, compare ׳עֹרְכֵי צ 1 Chronicles 12:9 (van d. H. v.1 Chronicles 12:8); ׳אֹחֵז רֹמַח וְצ2Chronicles 25:5; ׳הַחֲזֵק מָגֵן וְצ Psalm 35:2; ׳הֵקִים עָלַיִךְ צ Ezekiel 26:8; + מָגֵן also Ezekiel 23:24; Ezekiel 38:4; Ezekiel 39:9; ׳צ 1 Chronicles 12:35 (van d. H. v.1 Chronicles 12:34) 2 Chronicles 11:12; simile of ׳יs favour Psalm 5:13; figurative of ׳י's faithfulness Psalm 91:4.

Meaning and Physical Characteristics

צִנָּה denotes the great shield carried by heavy infantry. Contemporary reliefs from Egypt and Assyria portray it as a tall, often rectangular or oval board, large enough to cover the warrior from chin to shin. Constructed of wood or wicker overlaid with hide and sometimes metal, it demanded a special bearer for champions such as Goliath (1 Samuel 17:7, 41). The distinction between צִנָּה and מָגֵן (the lighter round shield) is explicit in several texts (for example Jeremiah 46:3; Ezekiel 38:4), with צִנָּה representing the principal defensive armament of a front-line soldier.

Military Usage in Scripture

• In David’s rise to power the tribe lists emphasize men “bearing shield and spear” (1 Chronicles 12:9, 25, 35), establishing that elite troops were identified by possession of a צִנָּה.
• Rehoboam and subsequent kings stocked fortified cities with these shields to prepare for siege warfare (2 Chronicles 11:12; 14:8; 25:5).
• Prophets picture invading armies advancing with “shield and helmet all around” (Ezekiel 23:24; 26:8), while Jeremiah commands Egypt, “Prepare your shields, both large and small, and advance to battle!” (Jeremiah 46:3).
• In the eschatological vision against Gog, the host is mustered “with buckler and shield” (Ezekiel 38:4; 39:9), underscoring the scale of the conflict God Himself will resolve.

Royal Splendor and Apostasy

Solomon’s two-hundred gold shields—each requiring six hundred shekels of gold (1 Kings 10:16; 2 Chronicles 9:15)—were not meant for combat but for procession and ceremony, representing the kingdom’s prosperity under covenant blessing. Their later seizure (1 Kings 14:26-27) became a tangible sign of decline, demonstrating that no amount of gilded religion can substitute for obedience.

Theology of Divine Protection

Psalms employs צִנָּה to present God as the believer’s encompassing refuge:
• “Surely You bless the righteous; You surround them with favor like a shield.” (Psalm 5:12)
• “He will cover you with His feathers… His faithfulness is a shield and rampart.” (Psalm 91:4)

David even implores the Lord to take the weapon personally: “Take up Your shield and buckler; arise and come to my aid.” (Psalm 35:2)

These passages exalt the Lord as the true Defender, rendering any earthly armor secondary.

Metaphorical Extensions

The word broadens in two striking ways:

1. Refreshment—“Like the cold of snow in time of harvest is a faithful messenger” (Proverbs 25:13). Here צִנָּה depicts an invigorating chill, suggesting the same cooling relief a warrior might feel when a large shield casts shade in the desert sun.
2. Captivity—Amos warns that Israel’s wealthy “will be taken away with hooks” (Amos 4:2). The prophet uses צִנָּה for cruel barbs, an ironic reversal of a defensive tool now turned instrument of judgment.

Prophetic Symbol of Judgment and Restoration

Ezekiel’s oracle against Tyre portrays siege soldiers “raising the shield against you” (Ezekiel 26:8). The act signals inevitable downfall, yet—as seen in Ezekiel 38–39—the same weapons will one day be burned by Israel for seven years, dramatizing the definitive victory God grants His people.

Ministry and Discipleship Implications

1. Reliance on God’s faithfulness: Personal and corporate security rests not in material might but in the Lord who is Himself the shield of His saints.
2. Spiritual warfare: While Paul later speaks of “the shield of faith,” the Old Testament groundwork shows that faith is not a passive sentiment but the believer’s frontline armor.
3. Leadership accountability: Solomon’s ornate shields and Rehoboam’s substitutes remind today’s leaders that external glitter cannot replace genuine devotion; extravagance without obedience invites loss.
4. Hope amid judgment: Even when God turns the shield into a “hook,” His chastening aims at repentance and ultimate restoration.

Related Terms and Distinctions

• צִנָּה – the great shield, covering the whole person.
• מָגֵן – the small, maneuverable shield. Both appear together in Psalm 35:2 and Jeremiah 46:3.
• שֹׁחֵרָה – “rampart” (Psalm 91:4), paired with צִנָּה to portray total security.

Across its twenty-two occurrences, צִנָּה moves from battlefield equipment to a rich theological emblem. Whether carried by Goliath, plated in Solomon’s palace, or invoked in prayer, it points ultimately to the Lord who alone is “a shield for all who take refuge in Him.”

בְּצִנָּ֣ה בְּצִנּ֔וֹת בצנה בצנות הַצִּנָּ֖ה הַצִּנָּ֥ה הצנה וְצִנָּ֑ה וְצִנָּ֔ה וְצִנָּֽה׃ וְצִנָּה֙ וצנה וצנה׃ כְּצִנַּת־ כַּ֝צִּנָּ֗ה כצנה כצנת־ צִנָּ֖ה צִנָּ֣ה צִנָּ֤ה צִנָּֽה׃ צִנּ֣וֹת צנה צנה׃ צנות bə·ṣin·nāh bə·ṣin·nō·wṯ bəṣinnāh bəṣinnōwṯ betzinNah betzinNot haṣ·ṣin·nāh haṣṣinnāh hatztzinNah kaṣ·ṣin·nāh kaṣṣinnāh katztzinNah kə·ṣin·naṯ- kəṣinnaṯ- ketzinnat ṣin·nāh ṣin·nō·wṯ ṣinnāh ṣinnōwṯ tzinNah tzinNot vetzinNah wə·ṣin·nāh wəṣinnāhInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts